Residents of California’s Merced County are still coming to terms with the brutal kidnap-murder of four individuals of Indian-American origin by Jesus Manuel Salgado, one of the employees of their trucking company. To honour the memory of the slain family, citizens of the county are holding a vigil from Thursday through Sunday night.
At the vigil, which is being held at Merced’s Bob Hart Square, a relative of the slain victims, Sukhdeep Singh, told KCRA, “Our family just lost four precious family souls”, adding, “Now, we’re all shattered.”
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Religious leaders of the Sikh community said prayers at the vigil while others lighted candles to honour the victims. People from all religious and ethnic backgrounds came together to support each other.
Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto, who was also present at the vigil, stressed the importance of the community coming together during this time. According to the mayor, with the vigil, the community is “…standing up against evil”. He further added, “We’re on your side, and we’re honored to have you in our community, and you’re treasured, valued members of our community. Your pain is our pain, and we’re going to work as hard as we can to keep you safe.”
Among the victims was an eight-month-old infant, Aroohi Dheri, her mother, Jasleen Kaur (27), father Jasdeep Singh (36), and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39. Salgado, their former employee with whom the family was having a feud, according to the police, was arrested from his home. Later, his brother, Alberto Salgado, was also apprehended and charged with helping his brother destroy evidence and being an accomplice in the crime.
In the wake of this incident, another case of shooting has hit Merced County. Reports surfaced of a shooting incident opposite to the city hall. Police arrived in the area to find one victim dead and three others injured, who were then taken to a hospital.
